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John Walker (runner)
Sir John George Walker (born 12 January 1952) is a former middle-distance runner from New Zealand who won the gold medal in the men's 1500 m event at the 1976 Olympics. He was also the first person to run the mile in under 3:50. After his running career was over he was active in local government, as an Auckland Councillor and representing the Manurewa-Papakura ward.
Walker achieved world prominence in 1974 when he finished second to Filbert Bayi of Tanzania in the 1500 metre run at the Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand. In one of the greatest 1500 m races in history, Walker and Bayi both broke the existing world record, and others in the race recorded the fourth, fifth, and seventh fastest performances ever. Walker also took the bronze medal in the 800 metres in 1:44.92, his lifetime best for the distance; it still ranks him third-fastest New Zealander ever, behind James Preston and Peter Snell.
Throughout his career as a world-class miler, Walker was coached by Arch Jelley, a school principal and a middle distance runner himself, whose work with runners has been typified by meticulous training programmes on a scientific basis and effective communications in person.
Walker broke the world record in the mile run with a time of 3:49.4 in Gothenburg, Sweden, on 12 August 1975, bettering the previous time of 3:51.0 set earlier that year by Filbert Bayi and becoming the first man to break 3:50.0 for the distance. Coincidentally, Walker's time was exactly 10 seconds faster than Roger Bannister's historic first sub-four-minute mile of 3:59.4, run twenty-one years previously. He was named Athlete of the Year by Track and Field News the same year. In the 1976 New Year Honours, Walker was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to athletics, especially as the first person to run the mile in less than 3 minutes and 50 seconds.
Walker's new record lasted until 17 July 1979, when it was lowered by the Briton Sebastian Coe.
The following year, Walker broke the world record for the 2000 metres, running 4:51.4 in Oslo, Norway, on 30 June 1976. He smashed the ten-year-old existing record, held by Michel Jazy of France, by nearly five seconds. Walker regarded this run as the best race of his life.[citation needed] Steve Cram of Great Britain broke the record by one one-hundredth of a second on 4 August 1985, running 4:51.39 at Budapest, Hungary. Indoors, Walker broke the 1500 metre world record in 1979 with a time of 3:37.4.
In the 800 metres, Walker finished in 1:47.63, outside the two qualifying spots in his heat, and failed to advance to the semi-final round.
However, Walker was the favourite in the 1500 metres due to the African boycott of the Games, which deprived the event of several strong competitors including Tanzania's Filbert Bayi, his main rival. The 1500 metres final started at a slow pace, with a first 800 metres in 2:03. The race would come down to a fast finish. In a bid to outlast runners who were quicker over shorter distances, Walker started his finishing sprint 300 metres from the finish. He was fading in the last 20 metres but held off Ivo Van Damme of Belgium and Paul-Heinz Wellmann of West Germany to win the gold medal. It later emerged that Bayi likely would not have competed because of an attack of malaria.
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John Walker (runner)
Sir John George Walker (born 12 January 1952) is a former middle-distance runner from New Zealand who won the gold medal in the men's 1500 m event at the 1976 Olympics. He was also the first person to run the mile in under 3:50. After his running career was over he was active in local government, as an Auckland Councillor and representing the Manurewa-Papakura ward.
Walker achieved world prominence in 1974 when he finished second to Filbert Bayi of Tanzania in the 1500 metre run at the Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand. In one of the greatest 1500 m races in history, Walker and Bayi both broke the existing world record, and others in the race recorded the fourth, fifth, and seventh fastest performances ever. Walker also took the bronze medal in the 800 metres in 1:44.92, his lifetime best for the distance; it still ranks him third-fastest New Zealander ever, behind James Preston and Peter Snell.
Throughout his career as a world-class miler, Walker was coached by Arch Jelley, a school principal and a middle distance runner himself, whose work with runners has been typified by meticulous training programmes on a scientific basis and effective communications in person.
Walker broke the world record in the mile run with a time of 3:49.4 in Gothenburg, Sweden, on 12 August 1975, bettering the previous time of 3:51.0 set earlier that year by Filbert Bayi and becoming the first man to break 3:50.0 for the distance. Coincidentally, Walker's time was exactly 10 seconds faster than Roger Bannister's historic first sub-four-minute mile of 3:59.4, run twenty-one years previously. He was named Athlete of the Year by Track and Field News the same year. In the 1976 New Year Honours, Walker was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to athletics, especially as the first person to run the mile in less than 3 minutes and 50 seconds.
Walker's new record lasted until 17 July 1979, when it was lowered by the Briton Sebastian Coe.
The following year, Walker broke the world record for the 2000 metres, running 4:51.4 in Oslo, Norway, on 30 June 1976. He smashed the ten-year-old existing record, held by Michel Jazy of France, by nearly five seconds. Walker regarded this run as the best race of his life.[citation needed] Steve Cram of Great Britain broke the record by one one-hundredth of a second on 4 August 1985, running 4:51.39 at Budapest, Hungary. Indoors, Walker broke the 1500 metre world record in 1979 with a time of 3:37.4.
In the 800 metres, Walker finished in 1:47.63, outside the two qualifying spots in his heat, and failed to advance to the semi-final round.
However, Walker was the favourite in the 1500 metres due to the African boycott of the Games, which deprived the event of several strong competitors including Tanzania's Filbert Bayi, his main rival. The 1500 metres final started at a slow pace, with a first 800 metres in 2:03. The race would come down to a fast finish. In a bid to outlast runners who were quicker over shorter distances, Walker started his finishing sprint 300 metres from the finish. He was fading in the last 20 metres but held off Ivo Van Damme of Belgium and Paul-Heinz Wellmann of West Germany to win the gold medal. It later emerged that Bayi likely would not have competed because of an attack of malaria.
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